UK Politics

21.01.2011 UK Politics

London’s multitude of events means I go nowhere

In Brussels it’s reasonably easy. There I was (and indeed still am) the EU politics blogger nerd. So if there are events and conferences to attend I go to ones about EU politics on the web first and foremost. Then

10.01.2011 UK Politics

So #NetrootsUK wasn’t gender balanced enough, Luke Akehurst enough, African or Caribbean enough… I think we’re missing the point

So 2 days after #NetrootsUK, and a load of recriminations rumble on, mostly on Twitter. Sigh. Here’s a selection. @Jessica_Asato I would like to have gone just as ordinary attendee but received no info so assumed was an invite only

08.01.2011 Technology / UK Politics

Too much politics on the web, and not enough politics (and consequences) of the web

In as far as I can work it out, the problem – in essence – with Netroots UK is that it’s too much about politics on the web, and not enough about the politics and consequences of the web. What

08.01.2011 Technology / UK Politics

What’s the point of #NetrootsUK?

We’re half way through Netroots UK, and I am struggling with this event a bit. Here are a few tweets that raise some of the important questions: Very good question. RT @jvictor7: What's #netrootsuk all about?? — Dave Briggs (@davebriggs)

02.01.2011 UK Politics

Orwell Prize ego-trip

Having seen that Phil at A Very Public Sociologist has thrown his hat into the ring for The Orwell Prize 2011 for bloggers, I’ve decided to do the same – it’s a self-nominating prize. Info here. I’ve been at this

30.12.2010 UK Politics

Vote with your heart and your head – the best case I can make for AV

The way Yes To Fairer Votes makes the case for AV didn’t strike me as correct when I first read their website. I am all in favour of simple, compelling arguments, but when over-simplification results in statements that are only

28.12.2010 Technology / UK Politics

Institutionalising a bargain that’s not credible

Today’s Guardian has an article entitled “Public to choose policies as coalition gets the X Factor“, stating ministers will ensure that the most popular petition on the government website Direct.gov.uk will be drafted as a bill. Sigh. There is not

27.12.2010 Technology / UK Politics

Twitter: the new new mainstream

A Very Public Sociologist has completed a second annual survey of the number of Twitter followers of people who also write political blogs in the UK. I finished up 34th on this list last year, now I’m down to 61st.

27.12.2010 EU Politics / UK Politics

Generation Europe: Nick Clegg, Lousewies van der Laan and Michiel van Hulten in 2001

April 2, 2001. Less than a decade ago, but the European Union looked rather different, and the careers of 3 politicians looked rather different. Enlargement to central and eastern Europe was in process at that time, and the Euro would

22.12.2010 UK Politics

Pavements, snow and the Big Society

Snowy pavements are not the same as pavements with broken paving stones – both of them can cause you to trip and fall, but the former happens all at once when it snows heavily, while the latter happens gradually over

15.12.2010 Technology / UK Politics

Blogging: the new mainstream

There have been a couple of watershed moments in UK online politics in the last few weeks, notably the reaction to the Wikileaks cables and the decision of a number of well known British political bloggers to stop blogging, importantly Iain

08.12.2010 UK Politics

The Labour/left blogosphere in the UK and Wikileaks

The whole Wikileaks saga has left me torn and confused. My automatic reaction is to welcome the leaks, to welcome the fact that we know much more now about how the wool has been pulled over our eyes as citizens